Agenda item
To receive the Annual Report of the Audit, Standards and Governance Committee
Minutes:
Councillor M. J. A. Webb, the most recent Chairman of the Audit, Standards and Governance Committee presented its Annual Report for 2017/18.
Councillor M. Thompson questioned whether it was appropriate to discuss this report as he did not believe that it gave a true reflection of the work of the Audit, Standards and Governance Committee and contained no foreword from the Chairman. He therefore proposed that the report be deferred for further detail to be included within it. This proposal was seconded by Councillor P. M. McDonald.
It was highlighted that the report had been approved by the Committee Members and therefore there would have been ample opportunity for them to have input into it and by discussing it at this meeting any additional comments could also be considered.
Reference was made to the content of the Overview and Scrutiny Board Annual Report which appeared to be much more comprehensive that the Audit, Standards and Governance Committee report. It was also commented that the report should have contained more detail in respect of the charges made by the external Auditors. It was however highlighted that the charges for this service were set by Central Government and outside of the Council’s control.
On being put to the vote the amendment was lost.
Councillor M. Webb, as Chairman of the Audit, Standards and Governance Committee went on to introduce the Committee’s annual report and in so doing took the opportunity to thank all the Members involved with it and advised Members that he felt it had been a good example of cross party working. He also thanked the Portfolio Holder for Finance and Resources for his help and support, together with thanks to Council Officers and Officers from the external and internal auditors. He highlighted the areas which were covered regularly at the Committee’s meetings including the monitoring officer’s report, which included the opportunity for parish council representatives to feed into the Committee should they so wish. Whilst the report was not as detailed as some Members had obviously hoped it was highlighted that the minutes and agendas for all the Committee’s meetings were readily available on the Council’s website.
Significant other items which had been considered by the Committee included the Audit Findings and Statement of Accounts and it should be noted that the accounts had been submitted a month earlier than the previous year, in preparation for the revised deadline for local authority accounts which had been brought forward in 2017/18.
Councillor Webb confirmed that Members were welcome to suggest areas for inclusion on the Committee’s Work Programme and to contribute to future annual reports. He then responded to a number of points raised by Members, including:
· The new deadline for production of the accounts and whether this had been achieved. It was confirmed that this was the end of July and that the Accounts needed to be submitted by the end of May 2018 and this had been achieved.
· The Council’s current financial situation. Councillor Webb commented that he believed this Council was in a better financial position than many others.
· The impact of the negative grant on the Council’s future financial position. It was acknowledged that the Council would face a number of challenges in the future.
· The involvement of the Parish Councils at the Committee. It was confirmed that Parish Representatives were invited to attend and were given the opportunity to contribute to the agenda should they wish to.
· The External Auditor fees and any additional charges for work that has needed to be carried out. The Portfolio Holder for Finance and Enabling reiterated that the fees were set by Central Government and were outside the control of the Council.
RESOLVED that the Audit, Standards and Governance Annual Report be noted.
Supporting documents:
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